


Dumbledore's Discovery

by AllisonMadness



Series: Sentinel Harry [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 19:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9253853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllisonMadness/pseuds/AllisonMadness
Summary: Dumbledore finds out that Harry is missing





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta Badgerlady, who helps with the comma wrangling and Brit picking.

The owl arrived very early on a Saturday morning in the middle of December, right before the beginning of Christmas break. Albus Dumbledore was just sitting down to his breakfast, and the Great Hall was quiet, with only a few industrious students at each of the tables. He watched as the lone bird circled the Great Hall, wondering who would be receiving an urgent message and mentally preparing for one of the students to need to leave the school quickly. When the owl headed for Albus, he sighed. Someone at the Ministry, no doubt, thought that some insignificant piece of information needed the headmaster’s attention immediately.

The owl landed in front of Dumbledore’s plate and hooted at him imperiously. Dumbledore removed the note tied to the bird’s leg and gave him a piece of bacon, before sending him up to the owlery to rest. Albus was surprised to see that the writing on the outside of the fold was Mrs. Figg’s familiar slanted script, and he wondered what news she had of Harry, and if it was truly urgent. She sent notes regularly, but most of them were short and uninformative. The only one to voice any concerns was after the Dursleys had asked her to care for Harry while they went on Holiday. She was worried about Harry’s care at the hands of the Dursleys, but Dumbledore had assured her that it was normal for small boys to eat anything they could get their hands on, they were growing, after all. Her comments about him being too thin were dismissed as nonsense. Of course Harry wouldn’t be fat, wizards tended to burn off calories at a higher rate than Muggles and Dumbledore was certain that Harry would be a very active child. He was relieved when she had stopped trying to get him to look into the matter after that.

He laid the note aside long enough to fill his plate with eggs and bacon and toast, then picked up his teacup as he unfolded the note.

_Albus,_

_I think Harry is missing, as I haven’t seen him since August. I went to the house and asked about him, but the only answer I got was that he was gone and they didn’t know where. You might want to come and talk to them yourself._

_Arabella_

Dumbledore dropped the teacup onto the table, where it spilled tea across the tablecloth, and lurched to his feet. Harry was missing? This was impossible. Dumbledore himself had augmented Lily’s blood wards, adding several layers of protection that should have prevented anyone with ill intent from crossing the onto the property, or even coming close to Harry if he had been outside of the ward line. And at five, Harry was too young to contemplate running away. He read the note again, trying to convince himself that Arabella was mistaken, that Harry would have started primary school in September and been too busy to visit, but Albus couldn’t quite manage to do it. Arabella would have been around the neighborhood at the time when school let out, looking for him, making sure that she wasn’t sending Dumbledore off on a wild-goose hunt.

With slightly shaking hands, Albus slid the note into his pocket. He then strode out of the Great Hall, trying not to look like he was in a hurry, lest the students become curious. The looks that followed him out of the hall told him that he’d not been successful.

The corridors were thankfully quiet, as most of the students wouldn’t be rousing themselves for another quarter hour, so he made it to his office without interruption. Once inside, he sat down at his desk and spread the note out once more. The words on the paper hadn’t changed, even after a third and fourth reading, so he called. “Piddy!”

A tiny house-elf appeared with a pop, wearing a clean tea towel tied at the shoulders. “Headmaster,” she squeaked. “What can Piddy be doing for you?”

He paused for a moment to consider. Did he want to involve Severus in this? The young man rarely left the school and swore that he had no contact with any of his former associates, but he still may have heard something. Making up his mind, Albus lowered his gaze to the waiting house elf.

“Please inform professors Snape and McGonagall that I need to see them immediately,” he said and Piddy’s nose brushed the floor as she bowed and popped away.

Unable to sit still, Dumbledore abandoned his chair, and paced the area in front of his desk as he waited. Harry missing simply wasn’t possible; Arabella had to be mistaken. Surely he was safe and comfortable in the Dursley’s home.

A knock on the outer door made him stop pacing and take a deep breath to calm himself. He couldn’t show his agitation to the others, he needed to present his usual face to them.

“Enter,” he called, moving to sit back down in his chair, to watch as Minerva and Severus came into the room and stood before his desk.

“What is it, Albus?” Minerva asked and Albus noted that her hat was slightly askew.

“We may have a situation with young Harry Potter,” he replied as calmly as he could.

The sneer on Severus’ face was not unexpected. “What has the brat done?”

Albus sighed. “Severus…,” he said, and the expression dropped from Snape’s face.

“You cannot expect me to be happy that you’ve called me here for _his_ progeny,” he said.

“Lily’s child,” Albus said, keeping his gaze on Severus, waiting for the moment…Yes, there it was, the flash of guilt, hastily covered with a slight turn of his head.

“Albus,” Minerva said, and the headmaster turned his eyes to her. He could tell that she hadn’t missed any of the unspoken words between him and Severus. “What have those Muggles done to Harry?”

“I don’t know,” Albus admitted, leaning back in his chair. “I received a note from Arabella this morning. She’s concerned that something has happened to Harry, as she hasn’t seen him in a while.”

“How long is _a while_?” Minerva asked, her eyes narrowed.

“August,” Albus replied, looking at her steadily. He was not the one at fault and refused to act as if he was.

“What?” She exclaimed. “Why didn’t she contact you before now?”

“I need to speak with her and with the Dursleys.” He said, dodging the question as he looked at Severus. “Have you heard anything from any of your past…associates?”

Severus snarled, “Of course not. Most are still in hiding, or working to convince the Ministry that they were simply victims of _his_ machinations.”

Albus sighed. “I thought not, but I had to ask. If this is due to Death Eater activity, it will not be anyone well known.”

“Lucius Malfoy will certainly not be involved; he is rather too desperate to redeem his family name. Once that is done, however, I have no doubt he would be capable of such schemes.”

“Yes,” Albus agreed. “He is someone we’ll need to keep a close eye on in future.”

“Be that as it may,” Minerva interrupted. “What are you going to do _now_?”

“I’m going to leave the school in your capable hands, while I attempt to find out what happened to young Harry.” He looked down at his robes, orange and purple with flashing silver stars, with regret. “I suppose I shall have to wear something more…conventional.”

“I _told you_ not to leave him with them,” Minerva hissed as Albus waived his wand and his robes changed to a Muggle suit, complete with a lovely silk cravat.

“I did what I had to do,” he said calmly and Minerva’s hands clenched until her knuckles were white. “Don’t.” Albus held up a hand. “I’m not going to argue this yet again.”

“Of course you’re not,” Minerva said bitterly.

Severus’ eyes darted back and forth between Albus and Minerva, taking in all that was said and unsaid. It was what had made him an effective spy, Albus knew, but now he found it irritating. “Go back to your classroom, Severus,” he said shortly. “I’ll return in a few hours.”

\---------

Arabella’s home was exactly the same as it had been the last time he’d visited, more than three years ago. As he stepped out of the fireplace, the distinct smell of _cat_ threatened to overwhelm him and he saw several of them prowling around the furniture.

He was just about to call out for Arabella, when she appeared in the doorway leading from the kitchen. “Glad to see you,” she said, reaching for an overcoat covered in large colorful flowers. It made Albus wonder if he could have worn his robes after all. “You’ll want to go see the Dursleys right away?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Walk with me?”

“Of course I will. I know you have questions.” She buttoned her coat and pulled a knitted hat onto her head, sliding it down over her ears.

The cold was sharp as they exited the house and Albus pulled the collar of his vibrant blue overcoat up to his ears. His fingers twitched towards his wand, but he couldn’t take the chance that someone would see, just for the momentary comfort of a warming charm.

“When was the last time you saw him?” Albus asked, as they paced towards the Dursleys.

“Near the middle of August,” Arabella replied. “He was outside, pulling weeds.”

“How did he look?”

She sent Albus a look that he couldn’t define. Amusement, mixed with exasperation, perhaps? “The same as he always looked: too thin and wearing clothes that were ragged and far too large.”

Albus sent her a surprised look. “Why didn’t you mention this to me?”

“You didn’t want to hear it,” she replied simply. “I only told you what you wanted to know. That he was alive and that I was watching him when I could.”

“But…” Albus began.

“Besides,” Arabella continued, talking over his objections. “What would you have done, even if I had told you that he was not well cared for? That his relatives actively disliked him and did everything in their power to make him miserable? Would you have taken him away from them?”

“No,” Albus sighed. “He needed to stay here.”

“Exactly,” she said flatly. “You would have overlooked everything because you believed him _safe_.”

He turned his head away without answering. He’d known that Harry wouldn’t be loved as much as he would have been with James and Lily, but Petunia was Lily’s sister and he had needed Harry protected from the Death Eaters and away from the Wizarding world. This was the only option.

As they approached Number Four, Albus noted that, with the onset of winter, the grass was yellowed and the trees had lost their leaves, but little else had changed. It was still the same Muggle house that he’d left Harry at four years ago. There were lights on in almost every room and a Christmas tree twinkled merrily behind the front window. Albus marveled for a moment at the genius of Muggle electricity, then reached out and knocked firmly on the front door.

He was ready to knock again when the door flew open, and there stood Petunia Dursley in a flowered dress and apron. He watched the smile drop from her face, to be replaced by a scowl, when she saw who it was at her door.

“What do _you_ want?” she demanded.

“Petunia, my dear,” Albus replied with a smile. “I’ve come to visit Harry. Would you mind calling him for me?”

Her eyes narrowed. “He’s not here,” she said. Her voice was firm, but Albus noticed her hands shaking.

“Oh dear,” Albus said and let his face show confusion. “I thought surely I’d find him at home on a Saturday morning. Is he off playing with friends?”

Behind him, Arabella snorted softly.

“He’s _not here_ ,” Petunia hissed. “I don’t know when he’ll be back. _Go away_.” She attempted to close the door, but was stopped halfway when Albus stepped into the hall.

“Arabella and I will wait, then.” Albus walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa. “Tea would be lovely,” he said as if Petunia had offered.

Petunia gaped at him as Albus made a show of straightening out his Muggle suit. Arabella sat in the armchair next to the fireplace. “Lemon in mine,” she said cheerfully.

“No,” Petunia said, crossing her arms. “He’s not here. He’s not coming back.”

Albus immediately stood and strode up to her. Petunia’s eyes widened in fear and she took a step back. “What _exactly_ do you mean?”

“I…I…,” she stuttered for a moment and then gathered herself together. “It’s _not my fault_ ,” she said. “The brat just disappeared one day and never came back.”

“When?” Albus said, anger burning deep inside him.

“August,” Petunia whispered. “He left in August.”

“And you didn’t think to contact the police? Or _me_?”

Suddenly, Petunia was in his face, pointing her finger at him. “We never _wanted_ him in the first place, and you just _left_ him on our doorstep without even a ‘by your leave’!” She was panting. “You just assumed that we would welcome him! Well, let me tell you that I’m glad that brat is _gone_! He was a _freak_ , and I shouldn’t have had to raise him!” Her voice raised in volume until she was shrieking.

A door upstairs opened and a heavy tread sounded on the stairs. “Pet?” Vernon Dursley’s voice sounded from the hall. “What’s going on?” Dursley appeared in the doorway of the living room and Dumbledore marveled at the spectacular color of red that his face became at the sight of them. He stood there gaping for a moment and Albus could see veins popping out on his forehead.

“Mr. Dursley,” Albus began.

“Finally decided to show up, have you?” Dursley bellowed. “We put up with that freak for _four years_ with no way to contact you and you show up _now?_ Well, you are too late, the little freak is gone and good riddance to him.” He took a step forward as if to confront Dumbledore directly, but stopped a foot away.

“Where is he, Mr. Dursley?” Albus asked, trying to stay calm. “Where did he go?”

“Don’t know that, nor do I care! He’s gone and now you can leave too!”

“I don’t think so,” he snapped, then turned to look at Petunia. “I will not leave without Harry, so you may as well tell me where he is.”

Petunia sat down abruptly. “I can’t,” she said viciously. “He went to bed the night before and when I got up the next morning, he was gone.”

Albus stood in front of her. “Look at me,” he ordered. When her eyes turned to him, he silently cast _Legilimens_ and rooted around in her memories without remorse.

_“Stupid boy!”_

_“Useless, worthless!”_

_“Vernon’s right, you are a freak!”_

_“I don’t care, you’re not coming out of the cupboard!”_

He dug deeper, feeling more and more sick as he witnessed the neglect and abuse that Harry had been subjected to. He’d known that the Dursleys would not love him, not really, but he’d been certain that they would at least care for him.

Finally, he came to the day that Harry disappeared. As Petunia had stated, he was simply not there. Albus tried to ascertain if Petunia’s memories had been tampered with, but found no evidence. The boy was simply gone and the Dursleys hadn’t cared in the least.

He pulled out of her head and watched as she fell to the side in a faint.

“What have you done?” Vernon bellowed, rushing to Petunia’s side.

“Nothing that she won’t recover from,” Albus said, turning away from them in disgust and striding to the door, motioning for Arabella to follow.

The walk back to her house was done in silence.

\---------

“Was she Obliviated?” Minerva asked as she sipped her cup of tea.

Albus sank back into his chair, trying to ignore the desire to throw everything off his desk. “I couldn’t find any evidence of it,” he ground out. “But if it were done by an expert, there’s a good possibility that we wouldn’t be able to tell.”

“Then what happened?” she demanded. “Were the wards in place?”

Albus nodded. “Every one of them. The only thing I can think of is that Harry left of his own accord in the middle of the night.”

“It was that bad?”

“Worse,” he admitted ruefully, then chuckled. “Do you want to say ‘I told you so’?”

“Don’t make light of the situation,” Minerva ground out angrily. “What do you intend to do?”

“I’ve contacted the Muggle police,” He sighed. “They’re conducting a full investigation and hopefully the Dursleys will be charged with child abuse. From what I’ve been told by one of the detectives, there’s plenty of evidence to support charges being levied.”

Minerva nodded. “And Harry?”

“I’ve got a couple of the old Order members searching for him,” Albus said. “I don’t want to involve the Aurors; you know how the Minister will blow this out of proportion if it gets out that he’s missing.”

“What you mean to say is that it will be bad for you,” Minerva said acerbically. “You put that poor boy somewhere that anyone with working eyes would know wasn’t good for him, and you didn’t think twice about it.”

“Minerva…” Albus started.

“No,” she snapped. “I don’t know what you were trying to accomplish, but I have my suspicions and I don’t like where they’re leading me.” She stood and smoothed out her robes. “You have proven that you can’t be trusted and I’m finished supporting you without question. You try something like this again and I will raise a hue and cry like you’ve never seen.” She left the office without looking back.

Albus was stunned. How could she say such things? He’d only done what was best for the situation. The boy had to be protected from the Wizarding world. He had to be at a point that Albus could take care of him when he came to Hogwarts. It had been the best situation for all involved. Now it was all a disaster and he had no idea what to do.

“Wait for the boy to show up,” he muttered to himself, “and hope that he can still be taught.”

He rose and went to the window that overlooked the Quidditch Pitch.

“Where are you?” he asked and closed his eyes.


End file.
